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New quota Bill Whose development? |
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Neglect of forests Punjab fast losing its green cover A front-page report in The Tribune on Friday revealed that Punjab forest officials had carried out fake plantations in Dhar subdivision of Gurdaspur district under a Japan bank-aided scheme and the accompanying photograph showed dumped saplings, leaving little for official denials and clarifications that usually follow such reports.
Killer earthquake
One rod sporting
two worms
Protecting human
rights Iraq invasion was a
bandit act: Harold Pinter Defence
notes
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Whose development? We
have a long history of hijacking well-meaning schemes and turning them into money-minting ventures. The Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) is a shining example. Stories are legion about what percentage was siphoned off by whom in collusion with whom. One had thought that this experience would make those bitten once twice shy. But then the governments are never the ones to learn from experience. True to form, Punjab is now thinking of providing a similar special grant of Rs 5 crore to each of its MLAs. The announcement made by Finance Minister Surinder Singla in this regard causes many misgivings. The most significant is whether Punjab is really in the pink of fiscal health to be able to afford such a luxury. Whatever the minister’s claims, the fact remains that the state is in the throes of financial difficulties. And it is not just the question of Rs 5 crore. Multiply that with the number of MLAs and you have an astronomical sum to arrange. Then comes another equally important question. When even the Centre has not been able to check leakage of money from the MPLAD scheme, can the state manage to do that? If the money is not to reach the intended beneficiaries, what is the purpose of launching such a scheme, except to keep the legislators in good humour? MLAs do make a hue and cry every now and then that they are not able to undertake development work in their area because of lack of funds. In reality, they only intend to purchase votes at the cost of the state exchequer. Leave alone starting any new scheme at the state level, there is need for withdrawing even the MPLAD scheme. The purpose can be served far more efficiently and transparently if the money available with the government is properly utilised through normal channels. |
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Neglect of forests A front-page report in The Tribune on Friday revealed that Punjab forest officials had carried out fake plantations in Dhar subdivision of Gurdaspur district under a Japan bank-aided scheme and the accompanying photograph showed dumped saplings, leaving little for official denials and clarifications that usually follow such reports. This is, to say the least, a criminal act and those responsible for such wastage and callousness towards the fast-depleting forest cover deserves to be sacked immediately. The reality, however, is such reports have ceased to shock those in decision-taking positions. The latest report of the Forest Survey of India, released earlier this year, pointed out that Punjab had lost 852 sq km of its forest wealth between 2001 and 2003. Although Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, too, have performed poorly on this front, it is Chandigarh and Jammu and Kashmir which have actually enhanced their green cover. But Punjab has the dubious distinction of heading the list of the states and UTs listed for the loss of forest wealth. The criminal neglect of forests is evident from the fact that Punjab has no data on its area under forest cover now. The government actually helps the land mafia swallow areas under forests by taking up its cause (environmental clearance) with the Centre. In 1997 a bank of Japan came forward to finance a Rs 407-crore afforestation project in Punjab. The project has been so badly handled that a bank delegation visited Jalandhar and Ropar districts in September this year after receiving complaints of irregularities and misuse of funds. The Punjab Government, on its part, has not spent a single rupee on plantation since March 2005. As media reports indicate, instead, it has asked forest officials to shut nurseries and sell plants as it had no funds. With a declining forest cover and a falling water table, Punjab is evidently heading for a disaster which is clearly man made. |
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The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good.
— Ann Landers |
Killer earthquake LESSONS of the earthquake in Kashmir, worst in over a century, are both positive and negative. The shock of that intensity was perhaps needed to make Kashmiri speaking people of the state really conscious of the existence and plight of socially and politically distinct but periploural communities of about two lakh Paharis and Gujars in Uri and Tanghdar. None of the political parties, including separatist outfits, had much following among them. It was reported, for instance, that a popular leader of Srinagar visited quake affected areas with 11 trucks. Out of them only one carried relief material while the rest were filled with his followers from Srinagar to demonstrate to the local people the strength of their leader. The role of the army in rescuing the people from under the debris of their collapsed houses and distributing relief was widely noticed and hailed. In fact, that was the only agency that had the resources, organisation and presence in otherwise inaccessible areas. But for its immediate operation, Imdad, the loss of lives, now estimated at 1300, would have been much more. But many commentators have started assessing political dividends out of this operation as “its human face has won hearts and minds of the people and ended its alienation from them.” This comment is somewhat off the mark. For the non-Kashmiri communities whom the army rescued from the jaws of death and provided them with initial succour to survive were never alienated and were not a part of the self-determination movement which essentially comprised Kashmiri community. Of course, as observed above the two parts of people in the valley came closer to each other as the Kashmiri community got emotionally involved in the task of helping the victims of the tragedy spontaneously. There has been a controversy over the extent of involvement of the people in the rest of the country in the relief effort. It is difficult to calculate proportionate amount of relief collected for victims of a natural calamity elsewhere in the country. Nor is it easy to verify the claim of Ghulam Nabi Azad, then a union minister, that never before had the Congress party and the government of India provided the quantum of relief anywhere else. Apart from Rs 642-crore relief announced by the Prime Minister, soon after his visit to the quake-affected areas, Rs 30 crore were provided by the Union ministry of Housing and Urban development for raising pre-fabricated residential structures, and donations received by the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund for the purpose. The minister listed the amount of help given by the Congress chief ministers, All-India Congress Committee and Rajiv Gandhi Foundation. In addition, the army provided over 4000 tents, 1.25 lakh blankets, 1,800 sleeping bags, 50,000 coat parka inners, 14500 coat parka complete, 50,000 browsers BD serge and one lakh pair of socks, 20 medical teams which supplied 50 tonnes of medical aid to 50,000 people, 15 KVA generators and 18 water points to ensure proper water supply. While no estimates are available of help rendered by NGOs and members of the Chamber of Industries and Commerce, personally as head of the Kashmir Relief Committee I coordinated the work of voluntary agencies based in Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Dehra Dun and Delhi and answered queries from elsewhere Eventually plenty of relief material did reach the quake-affected areas but distribution system left much to be desired. The local administration, at places, was almost non-existent and in any case not up to the task. There was no rational and equitable system of relief distribution. Some places, near the main roads, received more relief than was needed. Some got relief twice or thrice, others got nothing. At places, relief trucks were looted by stronger men. According to some news reports, some local government leaders were hooted when they tried to speak at public meeting where people came to listen to Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh. Despite the advice of the central government and despite an unprecedented snow storm last year the state had not set up any disaster management agency which came into existence after 1300 persons had perished and 90,000 houses had been fully or partially damaged. The state High Court described the work of the crisis management committee as unsatisfactory. The new Chief Minister on his first visit to quake-affected are as on the Id day admitted lapses in relief work. The grave tragedy had struck Pakistan-held part of the state and its adjoining areas with much more ferocity. Estimates of death toll were repeatedly raised upwards. According to the latest official estimate, at the time of writing, it has reached 75, 000, obviously worst in Pakistan’s history. As they say, there is always a silver lining even in darkest cloud, one hoped that the tragedy of this magnitude will make two
neighbours to begin a new chapter of friendship and goodwill. For nothing unites more than their common hour of grief. The quake diplomacy did have a promising start. There was a spontaneous popular sentiment of sympathy and compassion in India for the quake victims in Pakistan. Apart from the relief material, including medicines supplied by the government private agencies, too, contributed generously. The Pakistan government made a special mention of the help given by India and thanked Manmohan Singh for it regarding its acceptance. However, there some hiccups in this quake diplomacy. First instalment of relief material was held up for 48 hours as Pakistan officers had no instructions The Pakistan media, reflecting popular sentiments, appreciated India’s humanitarian gesture. The response came with the condition that the relief material would be distributed by their own men. The Indian offer for sending helicopters was acceptable to the condition that there should be no Indian pilots over them. Such conditions were imposed on Indian offers of help only on account of what Musharraf called political sensitivities. While for people of J&K, on both sides of the LoC immediate and final resolution of the Kashmir dispute was no longer problem number one, General Musharraf did not forget it. In his interview to the BBC he reminded India that “October 8 earthquake has provided a lifetime opportunity to resolve the dispute”. Meanwhile, serial blasts in Delhi on the eve of Divali, taking a toll of 65 human lives, again vitiated the atmosphere of goodwill. Indian Prime Minister expressed concern over outside hand in the blast to Pakistan President. In fact preliminary enquiries held Pakistan based Lashkar-e-Toiba’s hand in the blasts. What added to India’s misgiving were reports from Pakistan that the relief work in Pak-held part of the state had been taken over by the militants who had also stepped up killings of leaders of the PDP, National Conference and the CPM. Doubts have been created in Indian minds that the militants were again being patronised and helped in their rehabilitation by the Pakistan government. Pakistan President not only condemned Delhi blasts but also offered to fully cooperate with India in investigating the terrorist crime. It is obvious that terrorist acts in Delhi and Kashmir are meant to sabotage the peace process, which is neither in the interest of India and Pakistan nor of the people affected by the earthquake. One hopes that in their own interest , all of the parties concerned will cooperate in frustrating the attempts of those who are trying to sabotage the peace process and diverting their attention from the gigantic humanitarian task of ameliorating the sufferings of the quake
victims.
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One rod sporting two worms Fishing
is a very popular pastime but it calls for a great deal of patience on the part of the fisherman and, quite often, on that of his family — if their interests happen to be different. A woman who came to feel that as a result she had started ranking slightly below fish in the eyes of her husband, once had a stranger call at the house and want to see her life-partner. She had her answer ready: “Please go some 300 yards down the river bank until you come across a rod with a worm at each end of it. The one outside the water will be my husband”. Of course, it would be a great mistake to under-rate the capacity of the worms for action in case of need. For one thing, they do not let any opportunity to slip when it is a question of their making use of the “authority” derived by them from the proverb about the worm turning when pressed too hard. For another, when invigorated by the right type of brew they can perform wonders. A cargo of whisky had gone down near the sea-coast and a little later someone came to fish there. He was very happy as he had waited only a little before he was lucky enough to get a catch. When, however, the fish came out, he was amazed to see that it had not been hooked to the bait: instead the worm held the fish firmly by the throat. Two friends out fishing waited for hours without any success and to while away the time one suggested with a twinkle in his eye they try their hand at a game called “Questions”. The idea was that they should ask each other a question turn by turn and the winner would be the one whose question could not be answered by the other. That, however, would be subject to the condition that the questioner should then be able to provide an answer to his own question. The first poser was: “A mole digs a five-metre hole in the ground without any earth at all coming out of it. How does it do so?” Naturally the response after a while was, “I cannot say. I give up........Now you let me have your answer?” “That’s simple. The mole starts the digging from the bottom of the hole”. “But how does it get there?” “Well, that is now your question. You answer it.” Tailpiece: One type of fish is known to lay its eggs in river water and then to swim away from there. The father fish comes later and fertilises the eggs. So the mother fish and the father fish never meet. One supposes that explains the reason behind the expression, “Poor
fish”. |
Protecting human
rights December
10 is the Human Rights Day. Human Rights are those rights which are inherent in every human being by virtue of being a member of the human family. These are nothing but what had been traditionally known as natural rights. Human Rights are based on mankind’s increasing demand for decent civilized life in which inherent dignity of human being is well respected and protected. Human Rights are fundamental to our very existence without which we cannot live as human beings. They are not the gift, benediction or bounty bestowed by any benefactor or well- wisher nor do they accrue through our effort or hard work. They occur and flow naturally which means that they can neither be earned nor denied on the basis of race, colour, ethnicity, gender or any other consideration. They are often advanced as legal rights and are protected by the rule of law but are also quite distinct from and prior to law and can be used as standards for formulating or criticizing both local and international law. The conduct of the State, its armed forces including the paramilitary forces and law-enforcing agencies, must comply with and conform to these standards. It was in the aftermath of World War II that 50 nations, including India, signed the United Nations’ Charter on 26th June 1945 creating the United Nations. The repeated reference of the term ‘human rights’ (more than half a dozen times) reflected the concern of the Member States for the preservation, promotion and protection of these rights. This concern culminated in the form of a combined declaration ‘The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The United Nations General Assembly adopted it on Dec 10, 1948. The Universal Declaration marked and set forth the rights and freedoms of individuals, for the first time, in the wake of the second world war and the human rights and fundamental freedoms applicable to every person, everywhere were internationally recognized, thereby, making the ‘Declaration’ a common statement of mutual aspirations - a shared vision of a more equitable and just world. Because of this characteristic, this document was accepted universally. It would be relevant to know a little about the Drafting Committee. This committee, chaired by Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, comprising eight members prepared the preliminary text of the ‘Declaration’. The committee agreed on the affirmation of universal respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the principles of non-discrimination and civil and political rights, as well as social, cultural and economic rights. The text was drafted in about two years, between January 1947, when the Commission on Human Rights first met to prepare an International Bill of Human Rights, and December 1948, when the General Assembly adopted the ‘Declaration’. The Commission modified the draft declaration in the light of replies from the Member States, before submitting it to the General Assembly. The General Assembly approved the document after numerous debates in which 58 Member States voted a total of 1,400 times on practically every word and clause of the text. On 10 December 1948, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, with eight abstentions. Since then December 10 is celebrated every year worldwide as Human Rights Day. It is the main source of international human rights law and has served as a model for many of the international treaties and declarations and is incorporated in the constitutions and laws of various countries. The salient feature of the international human rights law is that all human rights are of equal importance which means that no set of rights can be given dominance over other rights without distorting the principles of indivisibility and interdependence. While human rights are not always interpreted similarly across societies, the norms of the various ‘basic’ rights that cannot be violated under any circumstances, are set forth in the international human rights documents, the Geneva Conventions and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which articulate the common refrain of various cultures of the societies across the world. Ratification of the international human rights agreements by most of the countries is indicative of the collective global concern for the protection of human rights values. Such norms constitute a standard for the conduct of the government and can be used as “universal, non-discriminatory standards” for formulating or criticising law and also serve as guidelines for proper conduct. While protecting all human rights, the United Nations has somehow promoted civil and political rights much more than other rights as 18 out of the 30 articles deal with civil and political rights, while only six concern cultural, social and economic rights. The United Nations has, tried to take care of this imbalance by giving the other rights the same priority through a new framework based on a unifying set of standards. Our NHRC was the first National Human Rights Institution to be established in the South Asian Region. It has taken tough and independent stance on several occasions and has come to be known as the most effective protector of human rights of the people. The State Human Rights Commissions are following in the footsteps of the NHRC and are carrying out similar functions in the States where these are working. They are playing a very important role in securing and ensuring the protection of the rights of the people and are engaged in disseminating human rights literacy among various sections of society and promoting awareness of the safeguards for protection of these rights. Ours is the largest democracy in the world and besides that it is a hugely populous country. It is, indeed, a tremendous task to secure the rights of the people in such a diversified society. Taken collectively, it is really a gargantuan job. But the Punjab State Human Rights Commission has successfully come up to the expectations of the people. This is borne out from the fact that we had received only 90 complaints in the year 1997 when it was established, but the number had crossed the figure of 15,800 from January, 2005 up to November 30 this year. This reflects the faith of the people in the cheaper, quicker and unbiased nature of justice being administered by this institution. The commission aims at wiping out the very causes of human rights violation from the soil of the state of Punjab. Conceiving of a perfect society may be a utopian idea in the present context of the endeavours of the commission but we cannot abandon our efforts merely on the premise or pretext that the very idea of creating a perfect society is foolhardy and is neither practicable nor conceivable, given the unpredictable nature of the man, his foibles, failings, limitations and above all, his lack of perseverance and moral strength. Our commission, in any case, is fully determined to take on all odds and challenges coming its way in order to ensure the protection of the rights of its people with all its capabilities, might and sources- that is our cherished desire and ultimate goal and the humble tribute we owe to the spirit of the Human Rights Day which we now tend to remember only as a mere ritual every year. There is no ‘better religion than protection of human rights of a human being by a human being’. There is ‘no better service to mankind than respecting the human rights of a human being’. Therefore, let all of us take a pledge on this ‘Human Rights Day’ to honour and respect each other’s human rights without any
violation. The writer is the Chairperson of the Punjab State Human Rights Commission
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Iraq invasion was a bandit act: Harold Pinter The British playwright called for “US crimes” to be addressed head on and mocked Tony Blair’s Britain as “pathetic and supine”. The invasion of Iraq was branded “a bandit act” which showed contempt for international law and systematically knocked down the justifications given for the conflict. And in a nod back to the controversies of the Cold War era, Pinter demanded to know why, when atrocities committed in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe in the post-war period had been so well-documented, the damaging actions of the US in Nicaragua and elsewhere had been ignored. The political broadsides were preceded by a brief reflection on the art of writing. Pinter began his speech by explaining that most of his plays had been born from a single line, word or image that came into his head. But the Nobel Prize winner swiftly interrupted his literary meanderings with an impassioned tirade against the Iraq war. “The invasion of Iraq was a bandit act,” he said, “an act of blatant state terrorism, demonstrating absolute contempt for the concept of international law ... an arbitrary military action inspired by a series of lies upon lies and gross manipulation of the media and therefore of the public.” He continued: “We have brought torture, cluster bombs, depleted uranium, innumerable acts of random murder, misery, degradation and death to the Iraqi people and call it ‘bringing freedom and democracy to the Middle East’ ... the justification for the invasion of Iraq was that Saddam Hussein possessed a highly dangerous body of weapons of mass destruction, some of which could be fired in 45 minutes, bringing about appalling devastation. We were assured that was true. It was not true.” Other assertions - that Iraq had a relationship with al-Qa’ida, thus sharing responsibility for 9/11, and that Iraq threatened the security of the world - proved to be equally baseless, he said. Pinter also took on US foreign policy more widely, contending that “crimes” committed by the US since the Second World War have been largely overlooked, unlike the atrocities committed by other nations. As he drew to a close, Pinter read his 1997 poem, Death. Prevented from travelling for reasons of ill health, Pinter was represented by his publisher, Stephen Page, of Faber and Faber, who will also attend Saturday’s prize-giving ceremony on his behalf. DEATH (1997) Where was the dead body found? Who found the dead body? Was the dead body dead when found? How was the dead body found? Who was the dead body? Who was the father or daughter or brother Or uncle or sister or mother or son Of the dead and abandoned body? Was the body dead when abandoned? Was the body abandoned? By whom had it been abandoned? Was the dead body naked or dressed for a journey? What made you declare the dead body dead? Did you declare the dead body dead? How well did you know the dead body? How did you know the dead body was dead? Did you wash the dead body Did you close both its eyes Did you bury the body Did you leave it abandoned Did you kiss the dead body —
The Independent |
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Defence notes With
all efforts being made by the Tihar jail authorities to reform the prisoners, it was yet another opportunity for the inmates to enjoy some good music, even though it was more of instrumental. For the first time ever, the Indian Air Force symphony band performed for the inmates of Tihar jail on Thursday last giving them some very enjoyable moments. The repertoire included popular tunes like “Vande Mataram”, “Sare jahan se acha”, “Mera joota hai Japani”, “Just Chill” “Kajarare kajarare”, and “Dhoom macha le”. The show was planned exclusively with an aim to change a day in the lives of the inmates with the help of music. Earlier the jail authorities had also put up an exhibition of paintings by the inmates. The Air Warriors band had been performing mainly for select audiences in the past. However, after the President of India Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, expressed his desire that these Air warriors should reach the general public and the less privileged sections of society, a special drive was launched under which shows had been held at the India Gate. Some more are planned at for the blind schools and orphanages. Management of
disasters As had been the case in the past, there was again opposition from China over Taiwan’s participation at a forum where the former was also invited. This time round the opposition came at the international seminar on disaster management—emerging challenges for the armed forces organised in the capital earlier in the week. Inaugurated by Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee, the seminar saw strong protests from China over Taiwan’s inclusion. Incidentally the Defence Minister, while inaugurating the seminar, said the government planned to establish “National Disaster Management Authority’ headed by the Prime Minister. Mr Mukherjee said that government was bringing about a change in legislation, to meet the challenge of disasters head-on in the form of a National Disaster Management Bill 2005. Army cautious on technology Technology or no technology Although the Indian armed forces are well on their way to be assuring as the most technology savvy forces in the world, small incidents put a question mark over whether or not hi-tech gadgets would be feasible in highly sensitive areas. As a result of one such incident the Indian Army has banned the use of a hi-tech gadget like the “Pen Drive” in key operational areas following the loss of one such drive by a Brigadier of the force. Earlier, the Navy had seen three senior officers taking advantage of the availability of the Pen drives to leak out sensitive information. While senior officers agree on the need for technology. They are also wary that it only helps in the leak of information. The Army, while taking a serious note of the loss of Pen Drive by the Brigadier posted in the Directorate General of Military Operations (DGMO), has banned the use of such devices. |
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From the pages of Hostility to reforms
It is to be greatly regretted that the European Association have launched a campaign of sheer hostility to Indian reforms. The speech made by the chairman of the Association on Wednesday contained nothing but contemptuous vituperation of the reforms urged by the people. The Europeans have thought it fit to call Indian politicians as “noisy agitators” and their political activity as a mere “clamour”. Even the legitimate scheme of promoting Swadeshi manufactures is an “evil cry” to the minds of these persons. The reforms scheme submitted by the Congress and the League is “an impossible and an extravagant one” to those who have not the patience to study and examine the details. And the action of the Government is having released Mrs Besant is “extravagant clemency” that raises “racial bitterness.” We wonder how such wild and unreasonable exhibition of intolerance and anger can pass for sober opinions of any responsible community. |
Our senses show us the mortal world. Love helps to make it immortal. — The Upanishads To cease and abstain from evil, forbearance with respect to intoxicants and steadfastness in virtue. This is the Supreme Blessing. — The Buddha Life is flowing by like a river in spate. Our acts are its waves, Our feeling its current, God is reflected like sunshine on its surface. — Sanatana Dharma There is a field beyond right and wrong. Come, I will meet you there. — Kabir |
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